Firefly Journey

Chapter 139 Battlefield Chrysanthemums (6)

Half a month had passed since Lin Yuanran and his group arrived in the tundra, and Viktor had been missing for nearly a week. Lin Yuanran was extremely anxious, but there was nothing he could do.

After working as a helper at the grocery store for a few days, good news finally came from Prit: thanks to his efforts, Chief Iru finally agreed to see Claudia.

Lin Yuanran, acting as a temporary bodyguard, also went along.

Prit came to greet them personally, and the group followed him toward the Black Mountain Tribe's council chamber.

As the group ventured deeper, Lin Yuanran discovered that the security here was far more stringent than when he had entered that day.

At the time, he was wondering why the Black Mountain tribe's defenses were so lax, as if they were just going through the motions.

Now he understood that even if people from rival tribes and empires infiltrated, they could only operate on the outskirts of the tribes. They could do whatever they wanted, whether it was trading or gathering intelligence, but they would never be able to access the core interests.

So Justin is quite capable, managing to gather intelligence on the Black Mountain tribes even from the periphery. Of course, Prit's help was indispensable in this process.

The minotaur soldiers guarding and patrolling inside were far superior to those at the tribe's gates. Their appearance and demeanor clearly indicated that they were the elite of the elite.

Inside the animal-hide tent, Prit bowed respectfully.

“Chief, this is the envoy from the Kingdom of Delos,” Prit introduced.

The tent was empty. Before Lin Yuanran and his group entered, only a robust minotaur was sitting in the main seat.

The orc had two sharp horns on his head that seemed to glow faintly, and he wore a large robe made of animal hide. Anyone who knew their stuff would recognize that it was made of the leather of a snow rhinoceros beast.

The snow rhinoceros is an old-fashioned magical beast in the North, known for its enormous size and ferocious carnivore nature. Some small tribes would avoid it at all costs, as a single misstep could result in the annihilation of their entire army.

Claudia also bowed, but it was nothing grand; a slight nod was enough.

As a princess of a kingdom, every word and action she takes during her diplomatic mission represents the face of the Kingdom of Delos. It is acceptable to express friendliness, but one must not be subservient.

Lin Yuanran and Justin followed suit, bowing with their hands clasped in greeting.

Chief Iru wasn't exactly enthusiastic, at least he remained seated and said, "I heard from Prit that you are a princess of the Kingdom of Delos? This child has mentioned you quite a bit over the years, and I am very grateful."

He paused for a moment, then said, "You are a guest from afar, please take a seat."

The group sat down, but Justin settled into his seat, standing behind Claudia.

Lin Yuanran's heart pounded. "I'm a bodyguard too, should I stand up as well?"

The idea was immediately rejected. Who knows how long the meeting will last? My legs might get sore, why bother with all that suffering?

Claudia said, “Chief, I presume the young chief has already told you our purpose, so let’s be frank. Given the current situation, the Imperial Northern Expeditionary Army is the number one enemy of all the tribes in the north, and the tribes are unable to unite against the enemy due to their mutual grievances. Why doesn’t the chief look to the south for allies?”

“Let’s put this matter aside for now,” Iru said. “As far as I know, the Kingdom of Delos is currently ruled by a king, or at the very least, a prince. Was it their idea that Her Highness the Princess would come to my tribe so abruptly?”

Claudia knew what Iru was thinking. Anyone with eyes could see that there were only two people in power in the Kingdom of Delos: the king and the prince. How could anyone trust a princess who suddenly appeared?

Can she really represent the Kingdom of Delos?

Seeing his father's hostile attitude towards Claudia, Prit quickly said, "Her Highness Claudia is the first in line to the throne of the Delos royal family. She must have been sent on a mission by the King, so there is naturally no problem."

"Did I ask you to speak?" Chief Iru's face seemed angry, showing no respect for his son as he rebuked him angrily.

Pritt remained silent.

Claudia smiled and said, "Thank you for speaking up for me, young chieftain. I appreciate your kindness, but the alliance was indeed something I did on my own. My father and uncle were unaware of it."

"Oh?" Chief Iru chuckled softly. "Then why did Your Highness make an alliance with my Black Mountain tribe behind their backs?"

Claudia didn't hide anything; if she wanted the other party to trust her, she had to be completely open with everything.

“My father is in poor health, and the best doctors say he is nearing the end. As his daughter, I am grieving, but I must also consider the future survival of the Kingdom of Delos.”

“Uncle Wang has rendered great service to the country and there is a strong call for him to succeed to the throne, but he is a complete war maniac who is single-mindedly focused on fighting the empire and has no idea how to recuperate. I cannot stand by and watch my country fall into the abyss with him.”

Chief Iru listened quietly, processing the information Claudia had shared. After a long while, he said, "Actually, it doesn't matter who I ally with. The key is what I can gain."

It's human nature to act without self-interest; even though the Black Mountain tribe is fighting valiantly against the Debasa Empire, it doesn't mean that the enemy of my enemy can be my friend.

Claudia had anticipated this: "Is the chief thinking that since it's all about forming an alliance anyway, it's the same whether it's with a young girl like me or with my uncle? My uncle holds a large army and practically controls half the kingdom, so he seems like a better choice."

Iru nodded. That made perfect sense. The difference between a powerful ally and an ally with some or about to become powerful was significant.

Claudia smiled: "You won't ally with him."

"why?"

"Because he secretly kept many slaves, most of whom were orcs."

Lin Yuanran thought to himself, "No wonder Claudia has always been so confident; she's got all the orcs' weaknesses covered. How can the freedom that our predecessors fought so hard for be so easily destroyed?"

If Chieftain Iru insists on choosing Prince Enor, his minotaurs will devour him alive without anyone else's intervention. This is a matter of principle, and no one is allowed to cross that line.

One saved his son, the other viewed beastmen as slaves; any normal person would know which to choose.

Iru surrendered: "What does Your Highness think of us?"

Just to be on the safe side, Iru asked one last question.

Orcs mostly live in deep mountains and forests, and in the polar tundra. They have always been associated with magical beasts and are regarded as a synonym for barbarism by civilized countries.

Previously, the two sides had some contact, but due to historical issues, they had always disliked each other.

The attitude of allies is extremely important. If the other party looks down on you from the bottom of their heart, even if the alliance is beneficial, it should never be agreed to.

Orcs crave respect.

Claudia said, "I grew up in the Principality of Bema and learned about its culture."

The principality is a large, multi-ethnic nation where the law stipulates equality for all and prohibits racial discrimination. Even three-year-olds' textbooks teach the importance of loving one another; I think you should trust me.